Islandistas turn out for Rihanna's Rated R album launch party

The launch party for Rihanna's Rated R album was held last night at the Juliette Superclub in the Big Apple and pure hotness ensued from the islandistas in attendance.

They were led of course by Ri-ri herself in a spiky gold dress and gold Louboutins that aren't even being sold to the public yet - ye, a so de girl hot.

Check it.




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She was accompanid by BFF Melissa and changed into a red look later that night which we're not quite as enamoured of... though she is working the sheer black stockings trend that is making some waves right now.






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Cayman's own Selita Ebanks was also working this look at the event in sheer tights, a big, luxurious fur and long leather gloves.





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Trini-descended 'socialite' islandista aka the chick people love to hate, Ms Genevieve Jones in a dress that looks like something a slutty pixie would wear - with the sheer bodice and kerchief-hemmed skirt. Only Genevieve could get away with it.





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Rihanna's dad - "I didn't believe it" and Fashion Week stuff

Rihanna's father, Ronald Fenty has spoken of his shock on hearing of his daughter's alleged assault at the hands of her (now ex we presume?) boyfriend Chris Brown. Speaking to people.com, Mr. Fenty was remarkably restrained and diplomatic for someone whose only girl child has been battered (or maybe they just edited out the part where he said 'if I ever see Chris Brown again, I gine burst he rasshole head... who knows?).


"I know my daughter," said Fenty, 55. As for Brown, he said, "You think you know somebody, but you really don't."

Describing Rihanna's current condition after seeing her in Barbados on Friday, Fenty said, "There is some bruising. She will be alright. I think so."

He adds, "At some point, she will speak out. I hope she will stand up for women all over the world."

Fenty, a salesman and freelance clothing designer, said Rihanna is spending time with her girlfriends in Barbados while she heals. While Fenty said he wouldn't tell his daughter what to do, he did say, "If it were me, I'd move on."


Like we said... restrained. Kudos to Mr. Fenty for taking the high road. 

In other news... it's FASHION WEEK!

New York Fashion Week is having an existential crisis about whether it's appropriate to have the traditional lavish displays of luxury and wealth when the world is in a recession. Several designers, including Ms. Fabulosity herself Kimora Lee Simmons (soon to be Hounsou?) have scaled back their shows in deference to the recession.

But the clothes still cost an arm and a leg ok? And a few toes on the next foot... but at least dey trying.



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Islandista Nia Long looked cute as can be walking the cat walk for the Heart Truth's red dress collection in a dress by top black designer Tracy Reese and a new group called the African Fashion Collective had an all-star cast of black models for their show, including islandista Jaunel McKenzie and guest appearances by Tyson Beckford and the irrepressible Grace Jones.

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Islandistas' fashion hit and miss

Islandistas Selita Ebanks and Genevieve Jones were a fashion hit and miss respectively last night at the Women’s Coalition for Empowerment and Opportunities Fundraiser to Benefit Shine On Sierra Leone.

Selita was fabulous in a blue and black number with a fanciful origami-fold skirt... love that trend!

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Genevieve on the other hand... um... she was draped in fake flowers. We really don't know how else to describe this ... outfit.

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We don't get it either.

In other fashion notes, Rihanna rocked a sexy cowgirl look at her rehearsal for the upcoming American Music Awards  that would look absurd or cheesy on most people and managed to make it look fierce. I guess it's like a college sistren of mine used to say 'it's not what you wear, it's how you rock it'.

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Islandista 'It' Girls

Maybe it's just a coincidence or how the stars are aligned right now but I have noticed that an increasing number of the 'It' girls making waves over and away these days are also islandistas - or at least islandistas by descent.

Now what do I mean by an 'it girl' ? After all, it's still debated whether the term is a compliment - indicating a young woman at the peak of her fame and celebrity who is praised and copied for her style and personality or whether it's a bit derogatory - an aimless, narcissistic party girl/socialiate who can't let any dog fight miss her and is always angling to get in front of the cameras. Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are described as 'it girls' (shudder) but then again so are genuine talents with actual careers such as Keira Knightley.

For my one - it's a young woman who is a bit of both - she definitely has to have an innate sense of style and be imitated - fashion is probably the biggest element of true 'it girl-dom'.

She is someone who not only goes to but is invited to all the hottest events. And especially in this day and age she is definitely someone who occupies that voracious and rapidly-growing world of media celebrity - the blogs can't get enough of her,  the fashion magazines are in her thrall and her personal life and style are breathlessly tracked. Perhaps it is too hard to define. Let us leave it to the French who put it so beautifully. Simply put an it girl is a young woman that has that certain 'je-ne-sais-quoi'.  

And it so happens, some of the hottest it girls on the scene right now are straight from the islands or at least of islandista extraction.  


 


  

 


 


 

 

 

 

The most obvious islandista it girl on the scene right now is Rihanna.

(photo credit: YBF.com)

The Bajan songstress is beloved by both black blogs and mainstream fashion mags for her edgy, 80s influenced sense of style, particularly since the release of 'Good Girl Gone Bad' which catapulted her above the many other RnB popstresses such as Ciara and Christina Milian into a different dimension. Her asymetrical cropped do spawned a million imitators in the last year or so and now that they have all caught up, she has gone and changed it up again, with a throwback short, bowl cut a la Halle Berry in the 90s - but with a funky twist.

I'm not so sure about those open-toed Balenciaga gladiator boots in the pic to the right but she is pushing that envelope as ever.


Another islandista it girl is model, Victoria's Secret 'angel' and former Nick Cannon fiancee (dodge a bullet dey girl!) Selita Ebanks from the Cayman Islands. In an interview with Sports Illustrated she made it clear she is a real-real island girl, talking up her love of fried snapper, calypso and dominoes and reminiscing about her childhood home with the zinc roof.




She is another islandista it girl that is firmly in the mainstream consciousness, as evidenced by the fact that she was listed in the 2008 edition Maxim magazine's (in?)famous list of Top 100 sexiest women. Not to mention she is at every event and live-blogged the New York Fashion Week for New York magazine.

Another, more controversial one is islandista-by-extraction (yes, I'm coming to like that term) the mysterious Genevieve Jones.

The allegedly half-Trinidadian Ms. Jones was tipping dangerously into that 'it girl for no reason with no job' area but she's got a line of jewellery now (whew!) which was featured in a recent edition of Vogue. Genevieve ... well she parties. And she dresses really well and knows all the right people. And even though she's not wealthy - apparently hailing from middle-clas roots in Louisiana, she's a socialite.

There was a rather scathing piece about her in the Wall Street Journal of all places (yuh reach girl!) in late 2006, that really set the blogosphere buzzing and tongues wagging, with folks questioning where she got the money to live in the style that she does. There was more than a hint of thinly-veiled racism and condescension in the piece with statements like:


Unlike many of her friends, Ms. Jones isn't an heiress and she lacks the Ivy League credentials and social pedigree of Manhattan's largely white society set. An African-American, she grew up in Baton Rouge, La., and didn't go to college.


The accusations that flew were not much nicer. Frankly, I love that this is madding them people.  No-one puts that level of scrutiny on the white party girls and socialites so why is it so very passing strange when a chocolate-coloured socialite sets the place alight?

  

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